1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electric connector equipped in a wire harness for electrically connecting a circuit board and the wire harness to each other. The invention relates further to a housing employed in the electric connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 12 illustrates a conventional electric connector 500, FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the electric connector 500 viewed in a direction of an arrow B shown in FIG. 22, and FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the electric connector 500 viewed in a direction of the arrow B.
As illustrated in FIG. 12, the electric connector 500 includes a housing 50 composed of an electrically insulative material, and a plurality of terminals 60 to be inserted into terminal spaces 51 formed in the housing 50 in a direction from a rear to a front of the housing 50.
Each of the terminals 60 includes a sheath section 61 having a square cross-section and formed at a front in a direction in which the terminal 60 is inserted into the housing 50, and a wire compression section 62 formed at a rear in the direction. A wire (not illustrated) exposed out of a cover of a cable 63 is fixed in the wire compression section 62 in a compressed condition to thereby electrically connect the cable 63 and the terminal 60 to each other. Each of the terminals 60 is formed at a front end of the sheath section 61 with an engagement section 64 protruding away from a center axis 61c of the sheath section 61.
Each of the terminal spaces 51 formed in the housing 50 is formed therein with a lance 53 protruding towards an axis 51c of the terminal space 51, and a resilient support 54 supporting the lance 53 such that the lance 53 is able to be deformed towards and away from the axis 51c of the terminal space 51. As illustrated in FIG. 12, the terminal 60 is inserted into the housing 50 through a rear opening 51b formed at the rear of the housing 50, and then, is pushed into the housing 50. After the engagement section 64 is slid along the lance 53 and passed over the lance 53, the engagement section 64 is engaged with the lance 53. Thus, the terminal 60 is fixed in the terminal space 51.
In the case that there occurs a defect in electric connection in the electric connector 500, for instance, the terminal 60 must be pulled out of the housing 50, in which case, it is necessary to disengage the engagement section 64 and the lance 53 from each other. A jig 70 in the form of a thin plate is used to do so. As illustrated in FIGS. 12 and 13, the jig 70 is inserted into the housing 50 towards a rear of the housing 50 through an opening 55 formed adjacent to a front opening 51a formed at a front of the housing 50. Then, as illustrated in FIG. 14, the jig 70 is pushed downwardly at a proximal end 70b thereof. The jig 70 lifts up a part of the resilient support 54 through a distal end 70a thereof moving in the counter direction under the principles of the lever and fulcrum to thereby cause the resilient support 54 to be deformed upwardly, resulting in that the lance 53 is released from the engagement section 64. Then, the terminal 60 is pulled out of the housing 50 through the rear opening 51b of the terminal space 51.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-39498 suggested a connector including a lance supported at front and rear ends thereof. A part of the lance forwardly protruding an engagement surface is designed to be branched into two sections.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-247227 suggested a connector including a lance supported at front and rear ends thereof, and designed to be deformable around the front and rear ends. There is formed a space between a terminal and a front of the lance. A disengagement portion of a jig can be inserted into the space.
Recently, an electric connector is required to have a small size and a low height. Accordingly, the partition wall 56 defining the terminal spaces 51 in the housing 50 and the resilient support 54 supporting the lance 53 are designed to be thin, and the opening 55 through which the jig 70 is inserted into the housing 50 is designed to be small.
However, if the opening 55 were designed to be small in response to the requirement of designing an electric connector to be small in both, a size and a height, a part for forming the opening 55 in an injection mold used for molding the housing 50 has to be thin, resulting in that the injection mold might be deformed and/or damaged. Furthermore, if the opening 55 were designed to be small, the distal end 70a of the jig 70 to be inserted into the housing 50 through the opening 55 has to be designed to be thin, resulting in reduction in a strength of the jig 70.
The above-mentioned problem is found also in the above-mentioned Publications, but remains unsolved.